Johnny Gargano
On March 27, 2007, Gargano appeared as the "Champion of Liechtenstein", Cedrick Von Haussen, on an episode of World Wrestling Entertainment's television program SmackDown!, losing to Montel Vontavious Porter. He made another appearance for WWE on the May 25, 2010, edition of NXT, portraying a security guard. Gargano wrestled another tryout for WWE, now working under the ring name Joey Gray, at the September 20, 2011, tapings of Superstars, losing to Brodus Clay. In June 2015, Gargano took part in a WWE tryout camp, and also wrestled at the June 18 NXT tapings, losing to Uhaa Nation. Though he did not sign with WWE, Gargano continued making appearances for NXT over the next few months. Most notably, he teamed with Tommaso Ciampa in the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic tournament, defeating the team of Bull Dempsey and Tyler Breeze in their first round match on the September 9 episode. They were eliminated from the tournament by Baron Corbin and Rhyno on the September 16 episode. Gargano continued working for NXT in early 2016. On April 2, it was confirmed that Gargano had signed with WWE earlier in the week. On June 23, Gargano entered the Cruiserweight Classic tournament, defeating his tag team partner Tommaso Ciampa in his first round match. On July 14, Gargano was eliminated from the tournament by T.J. Perkins. On July 21, it was reported that Gargano was signing a new full-time NXT deal. On August 20 at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn II, Gargano and Ciampa unsuccessfully challenged The Revival (Dash Wilder and Scott Dawson) for the NXT Tag Team Championship. Gargano and Ciampa, now billed collectively as "DIY" (often stylized as #DIY), received another title shot in a two out of three falls match on November 19 at NXT TakeOver: Toronto, where they defeated The Revival to become the new NXT Tag Team Champions. DIY went on to successfully defend their championships against the team of Tajiri and Akira Tozawa and TM61 in Japan and Australia, respectively. They defeated The Revival in a rematch on the January 11, 2017 episode of NXT to retain the titles, but were attacked by The Authors of Pain (Akam and Rezar) afterwards. At NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, they lost the titles to The Authors of Pain. They received their rematch on the March 1 episode of NXT, which ended in a no contest after The Revival interfered and attacked both teams. This led to a triple threat elimination match between all three teams for the NXT Tag Team Championship at NXT TakeOver: Orlando, where DIY failed to regain the titles after being the first team eliminated. On May 20 at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, DIY once again faced The Authors of Pain in the first-ever ladder match for the NXT Tag Team Championship, which they lost. After the match, Ciampa turned on Gargano to end the partnership between the two. Their feud continued when Gargano faced Andrade Cien Almas at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn III but he lost after Almas valet, Zelina Vega, threw a #DIY shirt at Gargano to distract him. Gargano had a rematch with Almas on the October 11 episode of NXT, but lost again after Vega distracted him by wearing a #DIY shirt. On the December 6 episode of NXT, Gargano defeated Kassius Ohno to qualify for a number one contender's fatal four-way match for the NXT Championship involving Aleister Black, Killian Dain and Lars Sullivan, which Gargano won after pinning Black (becoming the first man to do so). At the next NXT event, NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, Gargano failed to capture the NXT Championship from Andrade "Cien" Almas. After the match, Ciampa returned to attack Gargano from behind with a crutch. Gargano faced Almas for the NXT Championship again on the February 21 episode of NXT, where Gargano failed to win the title after interference from Tommaso Ciampa, thus forcing him to (kayfabe) leave NXT. At NXT TakeOver: New Orleans, he defeated Ciampa in an unsanctioned match to be reinstated to NXT. On the April 25 episode of NXT, Gargano was once again attacked by Ciampa while he was making his entrance for his NXT Championship match against Aleister Black, leading to a Chicago Street Fight was scheduled between them at NXT TakeOver: Chicago II, which Ciampa won. During his feud, his character began a darker turn, becoming more unstable, showing a more aggressive style and using a spike DDT to defeat EC3 on the July 4 episode of NXT, similar to the one that Ciampa pinned him with at TakeOver Chicago II. At the July 18 NXT tapings of July 25 episode, Gargano interfered in Ciampa's NXT Championship match against Black and accidentally hit Black with the title belt, causing Ciampa to win the championship. The following week, all three men were scheduled in a triple threat match for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV, though Black was removed from the match due to being unable to compete after being found unconscious in the parking lot after the show. The title match was later changed to a Last Man Standing match between Gargano and Ciampa at the event. Gargano lost the match and, on the October 24 episode of NXT, was revealed as the one who attacked Aleister Black, becoming a heel in the process. Black and Gargano continued their rivalry and had a match at NXT TakeOver: WarGames II, which Black won. On the December 19 episode of NXT, Gargano defeated Black in a steel cage match after interference from Ciampa. At NXT TakeOver: Phoenix, Gargano defeated Ricochet to capture the NXT North American Championship. Later in the night, after Ciampa successfully defended his NXT Championship against Black, Gargano reunited with his former tag-team partner as they raised their belts in unison on stage as the show went off air. The following night, he would make his first main roster appearance at the Royal Rumble event, entering at number 6 in the Royal Rumble match, in which he lasted over 13 minutes and eliminated Jinder Mahal before getting eliminated by Dean Ambrose. On January 30, Gargano defended the North American Championship against Velveteen Dream during the NXT tapings, where he lost the title. Gargano made his main roster debut on the February 18, 2019, episode of Raw with three other fellow NXT stars – Ricochet, Ciampa and Black. In his main roster debut, he and Ciampa defeated former rivals Raw Tag Team Champions The Revival in a non-title match. The next night on their SmackDown debut, Gargano and Ciampa defeated The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus). On the March 13 episode of NXT, after Gargano and Ciampa were eliminated from the Dusty Rhodes Classic, Ciampa attempted to attack Gargano, similar to his original betrayal at TakeOver: Chicago two years prior, before Gargano reversed it and attacked him, thus turning face. On the March 20 episode of NXT, it was revealed by Triple H that Gargano and Ciampa were to compete at NXT TakeOver: New York for the NXT Championship, but it was revealed that Ciampa needed real-life neck surgery, thus removing from the match and forcing him to vacate the title; therefore, it was announced that Gargano would still be in the match for the now vacant title, and his opponent would be Adam Cole, who won a fatal five-way match later that night to earn the right to replace Ciampa. At the event, Gargano defeated Cole in a two-out-of-three falls match to win the NXT Championship for the first time in his career, also becoming the first NXT Triple Crown Champion. At the end of the show, Ciampa came out to celebrate Gargano's successful title win with Candice LeRae as well. On the April 17 episode of NXT, Gargano was celebrating his championship victory until he was confronted and attacked by The Undisputed Era. A rematch was scheduled between Gargano and Cole to take place at NXT TakeOver: XXV, where Gargano lost the title. Gargano's rematch at NXT TakeOver: Toronto was then scheduled by William Regal to be a two-out-of-three falls match, with each wrestler allowed to pick a stipulation, with Regal deciding the final fall's stipulation. Gargano, however, was unsuccessful in his efforts, losing to Adam Cole, with the final fall being in a steel cage match, after Gargano and Cole plummeted off the top of the cage, both men going through a table. On the October 23 episode of NXT, Gargano reunited with Ciampa once again, only to be attacked by The Undisputed Era and surprise NXT returnee Finn Bálor; he suffered a legitimate neck injury when Bálor performed his signature move 1916 on Gargano on the entrance ramp, sidelining him indefinitely. He returned on the December 18 episode of NXT, distracting Bálor during his NXT Championship match against Adam Cole, causing him to lose; he then attacked Bálor with a steel chair post-match.Category:NXT Superstars Category:NXT Champions Category:NXT North American Champions Category:NXT Tag Team Champions Category:Triple Crown Champions